Museums
Museo Nazionale Etrusco
At the beginning of Via Porsenna, in the historic center of Chiusi, lies our National Etruscan Museum—one of the most significant and prestigious institutions for the study and understanding of Etruscan civilization throughout its entire development.
Established in 1871, the museum houses numerous artifacts of exceptional value, arranged across two floors according to thematic and chronological criteria. The current exhibition layout, dating back to 2003, combines rigorous scientific scholarship with modern educational and interpretive tools.
Inside the museum you can find the typical characteristics of the Etruscan civilization and the Chiusi area explained, thanks to valuable enthroned canopic tubes, laminated bronzes, buccheri decorated with cylinders and moulds, statues and reliefs in fetid stone, sarcophagi and urns in alabaster and terracotta; There is no shortage of luxurious imported products within the exhibitions, including many painted Greek vases of the best Attic production. Among the statuary from the Roman period, a portrait of Augustus stands out; it is considered one of the most refined depictions of the emperor to have come down to us. Also noteworthy are the rich grave goods from Lombard tombs, which, within the museum, complete the reconstruction of the city’s ancient history.
Etruscan tombs
The National Etruscan Museum also encompasses several Etruscan tombs—currently closed to the public—including the Tomb of the Lion (Tomba del Leone), the Tomb of the Pilgrim (Tomba della Pellegrina), the Tomb of the Monkey (Tomba della Scimmia), and the Tomb of the Hill (Tomba del Colle).
Museo Civico Città Sotterranea
The entrance to the Museo Civico Città Sotterranea, which is divided into three sections, is located on Via II Ciminia. The first part of the exhibition route begins with the “Labyrinth” section, which presents and recounts the myth of the Etruscan king Porsenna.
The visit continues on Via Baldetti, where you can explore the second section, “Productive Activities”—a true journey through time and the traditions of the Chiusi area. The third section, “Epigraphy”—housed entirely within underground tunnels stretching over 140 meters—features the only exhibition in Italy dedicated exclusively to Etruscan funerary epigraphy: approximately 300 inscribed urns and 200 inscribed tomb tiles, representing a collection without equal.
Museo della Cattedrale e Labirinto di Porsenna
In the heart of the historic center of Chiusi, in Piazza Duomo, lies the entrance to the Museo della Cattedrale e Labirinto di Porsenna.
The visit is divided into two parts. The first, located inside the museum, features highly valuable artifacts dating from the Early Christian and medieval periods through to the modern era (up to the 19th century). Among the many items related to the religious sphere, the splendid collection of 15th-century Benedictine illuminated manuscripts—originating from the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore—stands out.
The tour then continues outdoors, leading to the entrance of the Labyrinth of Porsenna: an underground network of tunnels, spanning approximately 130 meters, which formed part of a complex Etruscan hydraulic system running beneath the entire city. From these tunnels, one reaches a monumental “Etruscan-Roman” cistern. The visit to the Labyrinth of Porsenna concludes with an ascent to the bell tower, from the top of which one can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view.